Wire-fence clamp.



W. IVI. NOLIN 6L G. F. PATRICK.

WIRE FENCE CLA'IVIP.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.I5. I9I6.

Patented Dec. 1I., 191?.

I m Il@ m j@ M AVT-FORNEY WLLAM M. NOLIN ANI) GEORGE F. PATRICK, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORAD.

WIRE-FENCE CLAMP. I l

To all whom t may concern.'

Be 1t known that we, WrLLIAM M. NoLIN and Grenen F. Pn'rniox, citizens of the United States, residing at Colorado Springs,

in the county of El Paso and State of Golorado, have invented a new and useful Wire- Fence Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe present invention relates to wire fence clamps, such asjare usually employed in connection with wire fence stretchers.

The object ofthe present invention is to provide an efficient clamp for engagement witlrthe wire fabric of the fence, and to firmly clamp the fabric when the same is drawn taut, such as in stretching the wire fence.

rllhe above object is accomplished by the present invention,` by the provision of a pairaof members for engagement against the lopposite sides of the fence wire fabric, which have means for binding these members together and holding Vthem from spreading apart, providing the members with adjacent oppositely inclinedjfaces, and providing one of the members with a draft Y devicevfor pulling that member and sliding the inclined faces one on the other to edect a binding of the members together proportionate to the pulling force exerted.v

The invention will be bestV understood from a consideration of the following detailedldescription, taken in connection with V the, accompanying drawing forming part of this specification with the further understandingthat while Vthe drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter isnot `confined to strict conformity with the showing of the drawing,`but may be changed and modiiied, solong as such changes and t modifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure lisa side elevation of a wire fence clamp constructed according` to the present invention, showing wire strands clamped' therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section,

l taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1, the dotted lines showing approximately the relative positions of the parts when submitted to the pulling force. Y

Fig. 3' is a fragmentary vertical sectional View, taken transversely through the clamp. F ig. 4 is a-fragmentary View of the inner face of\one.of'the clamping members, show- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917..

Application filed August 15, 1916. Serial No. 115,012.

R ferring to the drawing, 10 and 11 des-v ignate the opposed members of the clamp, the same being in the form ofa pair of bars, which are substantially rectangular in cross section and of suitable length to engage across the entire `width of the wire fabric of the fence. The members 10 and 11 are provided with adjacent oppositely inclined clamping faces12land 18, which, as shown to advantage in Figs. 4 and 5,-are corrugated longitudinally, so as to provide a plurality of teeth or jaws for biting contact with the wirestrands passing between the members.

The member 10 is'provided at suitable intervals throughout vits length with draft connections 14, the same `being disclosed in the present instance as in the form of hooks carried upon the projecting ends of straps 15', which are counter-sunk in and extend across theclamping face 12. The opposite ends ofthe straps 15 are turned over against the inner edge ofthe member 10 and are secured to the member 10 by screws, or the like, as shown in'Fig. 2.

Chains 16, or the like, are connected to 1 the hooks v 14 and lead to a wire' fence stretcher, or the like, for drawing Vthe member 10 to stretch the wire fence fabric.v

p Midway .between the ends of each strapl thereis mounted a tongue 17 which isflat and which preferably tapers outwardly to its freeend. The tongues 17 are integral with shanks 18 which pass through the straps 15 and through the member 10, the Shanks being screw-threaded at their ends to receive clamping nuts 19 for binding the tongues 417 against the straps' 15 and not only supporting the tongues, but also securing the straps in place.

The tongues 17 project through relatively long-transversely extending slots 20 formed in the member `11, the tongues 17 being" of suci'entlength to project beyond the outer side ofthe member 11 when theclamping members are in place. Slots 21 are formed in the outer ends of the tongues 17 to receive wedges, or keys, 22 therein adapted to bind against the outer side of the member 11 to draw the tongues 17 through the slots 2O vand hold the members 10 and 11 firmly together. Reinforcing straps 23 engage across the outer side of the member 11y opposite the tongues 17 and are longitudinally slotted to provide continuations of the slots 2O to receive the tongues 17 therethrough.

The wedges 22`work against these reinforcing straps 23 and prevent undue wear upon the member 11. The wedges 22 may be secured by chains 24, or the like, to the member 11, so vthat when the members are separated, the wedges 17 will not be lost or misplaced. The opposite ends of the straps 23 are turned over against the opposite longitudinal edges of the member 11 and are secured thereto by screws, or the like, as shown in Fig. 2.

-In Fig. 6, the members 10 and 11 are shown as provided with clamping faces 12a and 13, which are formed of preferably sheet metal to protect the members 10 and 11, and provide clamping faces, which will not readily wear down or be cut, when pressed against the wire strands of the fence fabric.

In use, the members 10 and 11 are engaged against the opposite sides of the fence fabric with the adjacent clamping faces 12 and 13 against the fabric. The tongues 17 project through the slots 20 and the wedges 22 are driven into the slots 21 of the tongues to rdraw the latter through the member 11, and thus bind the clamping members against the opposite sides of the fence fabric, and from spreading apart. Pulling on the chains 16 draws the member 10 forwardly or toward the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2.

As the clamping faces 12 and 13 are oppositely'inclined, these faces slide one upon the other and the members 10 and 11 serve as wedges which operate between the clamping nuts 19 and the keys 2 2 to bind the clampingfaces 12 and 13 against the fencev fabric to a degree proportionate to the pull upon the chains 16. Thus, the more pressure exerted upon the chains 16, the greater is the clamping action between the members 10 and 11. The members cannot spread apart as the wedges or keys 22 hold them together, and any lateral movement of the members into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, tends to further clamp the members against the wire fabric.

rIhe slots 20 are of sufficient length to permit the tongues 17 freemovement with the member 10, and the wedges or keys 22 slide with the tongues against the straps 23. y What is claimed is 1. In a clamp, a pair of relatively slidable clamping members having substantially flat adjacent faces slidably engaging each other and between which the fence fabric may be clamped, means fixed to one member and rigid therewith, extending across the other member, and slidably engaging the outer face of said other member and adapted to hold the members in slidable engagement with each other and against separation, certain of said adjacent faces extending at an angle to the line of draft and constituting wedge faces for the fabric, and means connected solely to one of said members for exerting a pull thereon to cause the members to slide relatively to each other to clamp the fabric proportionately to the pull.

2. In a clamp, a pair of relatively slidable clamping members having adjacent faces slidably engaging each other and between which fence fabric may be clamped, tongues fixed to one of said members and projecting therefrom, the other of said members being provided with long transverse slots through which said tongues project and in which they slide, means attached to the outer ends of said tongues and slidably engaging the outer face of the member `through which tongues project and adapted to hold the members in slidable engagement with each other and against separation, certain of said adjacent faces of the members extending at an angle to the line of draft and constituting wedge faces for the fabric, and means connected to one of said members for exerting a pull thereon to cause the members to slide relatively to each other, whereby the wire is clamped proportionately to the pull.

3. A wire fence clamp comprising a pair of bars for engagement against the opposite sides of a wire fence fabric and having adjacent inclined faces, straps countersunk across the inclined face of one of said bars, tongues having slots in one end projecting from said inclined face of said bar and having shanks engaging through said straps and the bar to hold the tongues and the straps in place, the opposite bar having long transverse slots therethrough to receive the tongues and permit the relative movement of the bars, wedges for engagement with the slots in the Atongues adapted to bind against the outer face of said opposite bar and hold the bars together, and draft connections on one edge of one of said bars for moving the bars transversely across each other and sliding said adjacent inclined faces one upon the other to clamp the bars against the wire fabric.

45. In a clamp, a pair of members having adjacent faces slidably engaging each other and between which fence fabric may be clamped, said faces constituting wedges arranged at an angle to the line of draft or to the longitudinal line of the fence fabric, straps spaced apart on one of said members and provided with hooks, tongues projecting from the member having the straps and provided With Shanks fastened by'nuts to said member, the other member having horizontal slots through Which said tongues project and in Which they are adapted to slide, means provided on the ends of the tongues and slidably engaging the outer face of the slotted member and adapted to hold the members in slidable engagement With each other and against separation, and draft connections applied to said hooks to cause one of said members to slide relatively to the other thereby causing the members to clamp the Wire proportionately to the pull.

5. In a clamp, a pair of relatively slidable clamping members having adjacent corrugated faces between Which fence fabric may be clamped, slotted means fixed to one member extending across the other member and having a removable Wedge in said slot and slidably engaging the outer face of said other member and adapted to hold the members in slidable engagement with each other and against separation, the adjacent faces of said members extending at an angle to the line of draft and constituting Wedge faces for the fabric, and a draft connection on one of said members for pulling the same to slide said adjacent faces of said members one upon the other to bind the members against the opposite sides of the Wire fabric proportionately to the pulling force exerted.

In testimony, that We claim the foregoing as our own, We have hereto aiixed our signatures in the presence of tWo- Witnesses.

WILLIAM M. NOLIN. GEORGE F. PATRICK. Witnesses:

A. B. WILLIAMS, J. H. WILSON.

Copies mi' this patent may be obtained for uve cents each, by addressing the Gommllsslloner of' Patente, Washington, D. G. 

